We’re saying their time is up, they need to come to the table and give us what we deserve.” Some of us work for two or three of the companies that the Ilitches own, and we’re still not making enough to pay the bills. “They know we’ll work for less because anything is better than nothing. “People like the Ilitches come into the city knowing there’s a lot of people living in poverty,” one worker said after learning of the company’s unwillingness to negotiate higher wages. MotorCity Casino Hotel is owned by one of Detroit’s most prominent business owners, the Ilitch family, who operate many other profitable enterprises, such as Little Caesars Arena, Comerica Park, the Tigers baseball team, and the Red Wings hockey team. To me we’re not asking for much, all I want is to be able to pay my bills and know I’ll have a job when I wake up.”

“We helped them out when they needed it, now it’s time for them to help us out. “I’ve worked for this company since they opened in 1999,” the worker told People’s World. One hotel worker at MotorCity Casino expressed concern about the greediness of the company they’ve been employed by for 24 years. Much like how the workers of the UAW gave back concessions and kept the Big Three automotive companies afloat in 2008, Detroit’s casino and hotel workers also gave up a lot of what was rightfully theirs to keep their employers from going under. The pandemic year of 2020 saw the last contract negotiations with these three gambling houses, with bargaining taking place at the height of COVID-19. A fight like this has been a long time coming. The contract covers all 3,700 casino and hotel workers at MGM, Hollywood Greektown, and Motorcity. Workers eagerly join in, not shy to let the bosses know what’s in store come midnight if a deal is not concluded. The cross-union bargaining committee known as the Detroit Casino Council (DCC), consisting of representatives from United Auto Workers, Unite Here, Teamsters, and Operating Engineers, flooded into the packed cafeteria banging on tables. Hours before the unionized Detroit casino and hotel workers’ contract expires, chants can be heard from the workers’ cafeteria in MotorCity Casino. Know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.